I am a regular, for the past 4 yrs, multiple times per day…read more
This morning this location was completely understaffed, with only the owner working, so, due to the excessive line, I opted to go to Starbucks, down the hall of the Regent Mall (Fredericton, NB) location.
Upon returning later in the day, to Timothy's Regent Mall for my second cup of coffee and snack, in an attempt to REDUCE WASTE (as I usually do), I opted to reuse my Starbucks coffee cup, and immediately, once this was discovered, the owner erupted and flipped out in front of myself, and other customers, refusing to allow me to fill this cup.
When you pay for a cup of coffee, whatever cup you're given, branded or not that object is embedded within the purchase price of Coffee, and after the transaction, then becomes your property.
So, in an effort to preserve his own "branding" this owner opted to create issue, and his reaction was to flip out and refuse service, unless I took one of his cups... creating more waste, which was my intention to avoid.
I was then given a Timothy's cup, and asked to go down to Starbucks, and ask them to fill it with their coffee.
FYI- I have in the past, for over 2 years, refiled my own Starbucks Travel mug at this Timothy's location, without a single issue.
I understand the concept and mentality of branding, but to avoid creating waste, this whole situation could have, and SHOULD have been handled in a better way, that displayed to the customers professionalism, and proper customer service... but instead, they got a exhibition of an irate owner ranting and refusing my service unless I took one of his cups.
We live in an environmentally conscious reality, and retail chains and small businesses have become more aware of this, which in turn can swayand I have been a regular customer for 4 years, usually twice a day or more.
Because of his display of improper customer service, and refusal of my right to refill my own property (another cup) sadly, I will be taking my business elsewhere from here on out, likely to a more environmentally conscious venue.